The Life and Lies of Phoebe Grey
by CharlieMFinn
Summary: As a child Phoebe Grey had everything, two loving parents and an older brother who doted on her but nothing can stay perfect forever. Ana, Phoebe's loving mother and Christian's rock, dies of cancer when Phoebe was just fifteen years old and the following year her beloved older brother left for college. Now, at 17, Phoebe has developed her own way of coping.
1. Chapter 1

One more line will do it. One more line and I can get through this class. One more line is all I need. Taping it out and cutting the line has always been therapeutic. Maybe that's because it never changed, it was a well-established ritual that I could do in my sleep. Maybe it was the fact that I knew within minutes I wouldn't be feeling this way. Maybe it's a combination of the two, the anticipation of a good high. Snorting the line, feeling the blow entering my body has already put me at ease. I place my hands on the edges of the sink and lean forward, staring into the mirror. Aside from the fact that I was losing weight I looked exactly the same as I did when I started this over a year ago. I should be thankful that this habit of mine has not affected me in other ways, but my father is surely beginning to notice the weight loss. I swear he could spot a lost pound a mile away. Food is very important to him. I could have stood there examining my reflection forever but a sharp knock on the door brings me back to reality.

"Just one minute," I stammer out as I hurriedly collect my things and throw them into my bag.

Pushing through the door, past the other Seattle Prep student who was eager to use the only private bathroom on the whole campus, I mutter a small 'sorry' and rush down the hall. I had spent more time in the bathroom than I had intended and now I am late to my English literature class. As much as I hated being late to this class, it did have its advantages. I did not have to worry about trying to dodge and weave through throngs of students milling about, there was no one pushing past you in an attempt to make it across campus in time for their next class and there was no one staring. I hate it when they stare. My last name commands attention, being a Grey was almost synonymous with being a celebrity in Seattle.

Arriving at the classroom door I drew in a deep breath and turned the handle, mentally preparing myself for the next hour.

"Nice of you to join us Miss Grey, did you get lost?" Mr. Benson quipped from where he sat on the edge of the desk, his copy of _Return of the Native_ clutched in his hand.

"Sorry, bathroom," I breath as I take my seat at the back of the classroom and dig out my own copy of the novel.

"Don't let it happen again," he says before turning his attention back to the goings on of Egdon Heath.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I open my novel just as I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. It could really only be one of three people: my brother Teddy, my best friend Liv or my father. I really hope it is not my father. Glancing up, I check to be sure that Mr. Benson is once again enraptured in the story and fish my phone out of my pocket. Calm washes over me, the message was from Liv asking if I had heard so and so was throwing "the party of the year" tomorrow night. The thought made me laugh inside, did Liv forget who my father was? That party was never going to happen, for me at least. I could feel the coke finally starting to really hit me, I could feel myself shift.

As the class came to a close and the bell rang, finally signifying the end of the school day and week, I headed to my locker. As I was sorting through what I would need over the weekend and what could be left behind I could feel someone standing behind me. Their presence sent chills down my spine. Standing up I turned to Jackson Sullivan standing there in all his glory. Tall and lean, he was the picture of perfection. Jackson's brown hair lay unruly to just above his striking green eyes.

"Hey Phoebe," a smile played on his lips as he spoke my name.

"Hi," confidence oozed out of my words while my hands shook.

"Are you going to be at Matt's party tomorrow night?"

God the way he leaned so casually on the locker next to mine set my blood on fire. His laid back, nonchalant attitude could turn any girl into anything but laid back.

"I was thinking about it," I say as I tuck a wayward strand of my copper hair behind my ear.

"Cool, I'll see you there then," he leaned forward and ran his hand through my hair I had just tried to tame, then smiled and walked away.

Drawing in a deep breath and leaning back against the locker where he had just been, I smiled to myself. I had never met someone who had such an effect on me, who had put me so on edge in such a good way. Beethoven's fifth symphony ripped me from my silent musings and I felt myself involuntarily roll my eyes, Christian Grey was calling. Pulling my phone out of my pocket I prepared myself.

"Hi dad," I say into the receiver as I shut my locker and pick up my bag.

"Good afternoon Phoebe, Sawyer just called me. He's waiting for you out front," I can tell by the sound of his voice that he is distracted.

"Yeah, I know, I was just heading out there. You know I'm only five minutes late, do you think you guys could relax just a little bit?"

"It's his job to look after you Phoebe and you are never late. Most days you are running out the front doors as soon as the bell rings, you can't fault him for worrying."  
"Alright, alright. I'm heading out there now," I say as I walk down the staircase to the main entrance of the building.

"I will see you soon then, we are going to be spending the night at Escala," he states in his matter of fact way.

"Dad, I can spend one night on my own at home. I don't want to stay in city tonight, I want to go home," I can feel myself getting irritated, probably mostly due to the blow wearing off.

"This is not up for discussion, I will see you soon. I love you."

With that the phone call was over, nothing was ever up for discussion with him. My father was a dictator, he ran his family like he ran his business. What Christian Grey says goes, don't question it. When mom died, I felt bad for the people that worked for him. My dad did everything he could not to bring his pain into our home, too be strong for Teddy and I. With no where else to go with that pain my father took it to work and subsequently took it out on almost everyone around him there. Now that Teddy has gone all the way to Harvard, I feel bad for myself. With it just being my father and myself, aside from Taylor, Mrs. Jones and Sawyer, there is no one to buffer my fathers attention. Walking toward the waiting car Sawyer steps out and reaches for my bag, I can feel the students who are still lingerings eyes on me. I shoot Sawyer a look and maintain a tight grip on my bag.

"I've got it," I say under my breath so only he can hear and I see him give a slight nod.

Once I have fastened my seat belt and Sawyer is back behind the wheel we pull away from the school, leaving the muttering students behind...until Monday that is.


	2. Chapter 2

"How was your day Phoebe?" Sawyer questioned as he navigated the familiar streets of downtown Seattle.

"My day was the same as every other day you ask me that question."

I was annoyed, I did not want a conversation. I wanted to look out the window and watch the rain that was beginning to fall. I knew I was being unfair, it wasn't Sawyer who had agitated me. There are very few times, that I can recall, that I have justly been upset with Sawyer. For the most part any ill will I felt toward him stemmed from something my father had instructed him to do or the general anxiety and annoyance I felt when I was coming down from a high. When the car took an unusual turn on the accustomed route to Escala, dread filled the lower pit of my stomach.

"Sawyer, why are we not going back to Escala?"

"We have to pick your father up from Grey House, Miss Grey."

Whenever Sawyer addressed me as Miss Grey it was for one of two reasons. The first being that he knew I was unhappy with him and the second being he was preparing himself for my father. Christian Grey did not approve of such familiarity with the staff, with the exception of Gail. It was something I could never quite wrap my head around, Sawyer had been around since long before I was even a gleam in my mother's eye and here he was addressing me as Miss Grey. I let out an audible groan.

"Why? Where is Taylor?"

"Mr. Grey has Taylor preoccupied with other things. Also I believe your father would like to spend some time with you before you lock yourself in your room, I believe he has something he wants to discuss with you," Sawyer said while shooting me a sideways glance.

He was right of course, I had taken to making a beeline straight for my room when I got home. The sense of dread that had situated itself deep inside me was now mixing with another feeling, anger. While I love my father, I find it hard to be around him and now because he deems the amount of time I spend with him as inadequate he is going to force the issue.

"What could he possibly want to discuss?" I question, my eyes burning into the side of his head.

"He did not share that information with me Miss Grey."

My anger and dread filled stomach was now doing flip flops. Had I been careless? I quickly went through the previous day's events in my mind. My father had been there when I arrived home from school and there was no way I could deny that was unusual. Did he go through my room, did he find my stash? I quickly racked my brain, trying to remember if anything had been out of place. No, everything had been just as I had left it. I tried to let myself calm down with the thought that my secret was just as safe as ever but the paranoia had already set in. Had I known that we would be picking up my father today I would have finished what little coke I had with me in the bathroom at school. Now I was going to be forced to sit right next to my intensely anti-drug father with a mirror, razor and pill bottle of blow in my bag. The paranoia had turned into panic, I could feel my hands getting clammy.

Pulling up outside Grey House I threw my door open, grabbed my bag and jumped out of the car, Sawyer not far behind me. I was walking as fast as I could, I had to get to a bathroom. I had to get rid of the drugs before I saw my dad. Just as I pulled open the door to Grey House Sawyer caught me by the arm.

"Miss Grey, your father gave me instructions to wait in the car. I'm sure he will be down momentarily, we do not need to go collect him from his office," Sawyer's eyes were pleading with me. He was subconsciously begging me not to go into the building, not to give my dad a reason to lecture him.

"Let go of me, I need to use the bathroom," I said as I yanked my arm from his grip.

"Miss Grey, we will be back at Escala soon, can you please just get back in the car?"

"Sure Sawyer, I'm sure my father would be so pleased if I bleed all over his car because you refused to let me go to the bathroom," I knew what I was doing, one mention of the dreaded 'time of the month' and there were no more questions asked.

"Alright, I will wait by the car. Try to be quick about it, maybe your father won't even know," Sawyer relented.

Walking into the building I quickly made my way past security and to the elevators. Grey House use to intimidate me as a child. The sheer size of it was frightening enough but it was never the size that scared me, it was the coldness that seemed to radiate from it. Some compare the bleak and modern sterile atmosphere of the Grey Holdings Inc. headquarters to my father, although that is not true. My dad, while a shrewd business man, has a warm and loving side that very few people are lucky enough to know. When Teddy and I were younger, much younger, my father would bring us to work with him from time to time. We were a complete anomaly to all of my father's employees, I suppose it was strange to see him interacting with children and that drew attention to us; a lot of attention. It had been a long time since I had been in this building, at least five years. My father had stopped allowing me to come to the office with him when I could no longer simply be pacified with a piece of candy. The time away seemed to have washed all memory of Christian Grey's daughter from the staff, no one even looked twice at me.

When an elevator arrived I stepped inside and jabbed the fourth floor button, willing the doors to close faster. The fourth floor had a 'family' style bathroom where I could have the privacy I needed, Teddy and I had discovered it while playing an unsanctioned game of hide and seek when I was nine. When we were discovered it looked as though my dad had aged twenty years. That was one of the longest lectures I have ever heard, including all of the school lectures I've attended. A man, dressed in an ill-fitting black suit, stepped on the elevator with me just before the doors closed.

"Are you here for the tour?" He asked, offering a kind smile.

"Yes," I quickly replied in an attempt to end the conversation there.

"Did you lose your group? I can have someone help you find them. They were on my floor not too long ago. Try level nine," he said, pushing the button for the ninth floor.

As the elevator doors opened to my desired floor I quickly ambled out.

"Hey, you can't walk around the building unattended," the man shouted, "I'm going to call security."

As the doors closed I could hear him on the phone, he was calling security on his boss' daughter and he didn't even know it. The thought made me chuckle as I pushed into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I knew that there was not time to cut a line, I had one option. I took the pill bottle out of my bag and unscrewed the top. Dumping the contents into the toilet was almost painful. I had a little left at home and Escala for emergencies but the bulk of my stash was now gone. Just as I had flushed the toilet and dropped the now empty bottle into my bag I heard a pounding on the door.

"Open the door, slowly!"

The voice on the other side of the door was commanding, it would have scared most people but I was not afraid. Anger was welling up inside me again, the thought of all my blow mixing into the water supply and out of my grasp was setting my blood to boil. Who do these people think they are? I opened the door and stared directly into the face of two security guards.

"What do you want?" I questioned, bile dripping from each word.

"You need to come with us Miss, you are not permitted to walk around the building unsupervised," the first officer explained and I felt a snort escape my throat.

"Do you know who I am?" My tone was cool, calm and callous.

"Miss, you could be the president's daughter and it would not matter. This is private property and you are trespassing," the second officer's tone matched mine, he was not going to back down.

"My name is Phoebe Grey and I do not have to stand here and listen to you," I attempted to push past the two of them only to feel the second guard grab my arm and twist it around my back.

"Well Miss Grey, if you are who you say you are, why are you using the public restroom, on the fourth floor, and not Christian Grey's private one on the twentieth floor?"

The satisfaction dripped from his words, he really thought he had disproven me. He thought he had caught me in a lie. I wanted to chuckle, no one has caught me in a lie in so long that it was a comical idea.

"I had to use the restroom, why would I not use the closest private one I know of?"

"Well why did you tell that employee that you were here on a tour?"

"Probably because I was trying to avoid awkward pleasantries about how great my father is or how sorry he was to hear about my mother's passing," I was seething now, this was getting ridiculous. I could probably manage to get out of his grasp if I tried hard enough, it was not the best idea, but at the present moment, it was the only one I had. Just as I was about to turn and kick this man in the balls so hard he would never be able to reproduce, I heard it.

"Phoebe Grace Grey, what the hell is going on here?"

The dreadful feeling that had situated itself in my stomach was back, as the three of us turned toward the direction of the voice, I already knew who was standing there. Christian Grey.


	3. Chapter 3

Immediately I felt the hands of the security guard release my arm as if it was a hot poker, backing away from me while doing so. I took a small step forward as my dad and Sawyer approached us, trying to put a little more distance between myself and the situation.

"Mr. Grey, I… We're sorry. We didn't know she was your daughter," the first security guard stammered.

"Clearly," my father's voice was threatening, but not quite as threatening as the look he gave them before turning his attention back to me, "Phoebe, what's going on here?"

"I had just finished using the restroom when these two started pounding on the door and accusing me of trespassing," satisfaction was dripping from the words as I said them.

"Sir, she had told an employee that she was on a tour and that she was knowingly wandering off. We were only following protocol. Sir…" his words trailed off as my father raised his hand to silence him.

"I understand you were following protocol, protocol that I have put into place. I do not, however, want to see this type of behavior from any of my staff ever again. The next time you have a situation like this you are to call your direct supervisor, perhaps they will be more equipped to handle the situation. If I hear anything of this nature occurring again and either of you two are involved I will make sure that no company this side of the Mississippi will ever hire you again. Phoebe, we are leaving now."

Walking toward the elevators with my dad, the two security guards standing where we left them with a slightly dumfounded look on their face, I felt him place a protective hand on my back. For a moment, I felt comforted and safe. My dad has always protected me, from everything. I used to value it, I used to relish the feeling of being safe in his arms, up in our ivory tower or in our haven on the bay. After my mother died my feelings toward my dad's protective ways changed. It was suffocating, it was unbearable. For my father there were acceptable ways to deal with this loss and if you didn't find one that fit his prescribed list of solutions you were sent to Dr. Flynn. I spent a great deal of time in that office the summer after my mother passed away, but nothing ever came of it. Dr. Flynn maintained that the walls I was putting up then would come crashing down on me if I wasn't careful, that I needed to be opening up to the world instead of closing myself off from it.

Exiting the elevator on the first floor of Grey House I shrugged my father's hand off of my back and tried to walk at least ten steps ahead of Sawyer and my father through the lobby. It was a failed attempt of diverting the attention from myself, it was as if everyone in the main entrance had stopped what they were doing to stop and stare. The staring made me paranoid, but who am I kidding; everything makes me paranoid.

Once inside the back of the black Audi SUV I tucked my bag behind my legs as far away from my father as I could possibly get it. I knew that I had successfully disposed of the blow had given me much littler comfort than I had anticipated. The nagging paranoia in the back of my mind was telling me 'you may not have the drugs with you but you do have the razor blade and compact mirror in your bag', I still had hard evidence of a drug problem sitting less than two feet away from my dad.

"That was interesting," my father's tone does not do much to mask his annoyance.

"Tell me about it," I said, once again shifting my gaze out the window.

"You know Phoebe, I may not always be around to protect you."

"Who asked you to protect me? I would have been fine dad, you just always assume the worst. It's not like I couldn't have easily proven to them that I'm your daughter, I have an ID with my name on it.

"Phoebe, you are missing the point here. I don't want to fight with you right now," my father reached across the car seat to cover mine.

A small smile played across my lips, it was so easy to forget this side of him. It was easy forget how things were before my mother passed. My mom had brought out the absolute best side of my father, she made even his coldest moments seem warm. She was the voice of reason in our house, she was the only one who could ever put Christian Grey in his place. After she passed I could catch glimpses of this side of him but they were far and few between but these were the times that I felt the raging guilt. Guilt for turning to the one thing that my father couldn't stand, but the desperate need I felt for it always outweighed the guilt.

"I don't want to fight either daddy," I said flipping our hands over squeezing his tight.

"Good, I've made dinner reservations for tonight and I have a surprise for you," my father said as he looked down at his watch on his wrist.

"A surprise? What is it?"

"If I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise," a playful smile had spread across his face, it was infectious.

"I hate surprises," I giggled.

"I know, but you will like this one. I can promise you that."

My mind was turning in a hundred different directions, what could it be? I was excited, I was scared and I was anxious. On any other day by this time I would already be on my way to a really nice high that would get me through the whole night and here I am today with maybe enough for one or two lines waiting for me back at Escala. If I could maybe cut half lines and spread them out I could try to maintain at least a little buzz until we got back to the house on the bay.

"We're home Phoebe." 

My father's words pulled me back to the here and now, we were home and the my next high was just at the top of this building.


	4. Chapter 4

Sitting on the edge of my bed I struggled to make out any distinguishable noises from downstairs. It was hard to tell if my father was in his office or sitting in the living room, I hadn't heard the familiar sound of the office door closing but I also couldn't hear the classical music he normally played while he read the paper flowing through the sound system. The anxiety I was feeling from having to wait for m next fix was becoming next to unbearable, I was wringing my hands and I couldn't push it from my mind. At home my hidden stash was taped to the top of one of my drawers so deep within my desk that I was sure no one would ever find it but here at Escala it was not that easy. I couldn't hide it in my closet, if I needed something from here or a bag packed in a hurry one of the staff would find it. I couldn't hide it between the mattress and the box spring because I was never the one to change the sheets. I had limited options here so I had hidden it the one place that I knew my dad never goes, the library. That room had been my mother's favorite room in the whole apartment, my dad had stocked it full of wonderful first editions from all of the best English writers. Now with my mother gone however he never set foot in there, too many memories in that room.

I walked slowly and carefully, so as to make as little noise as possible, down the stairs. As I rounded the corner in the staircase and his office door came into view I let out a sigh of relief, the door was closed and that could only mean he was probably in the depths of some merger and did not want to be disturbed. I could almost feel the anxiety flooding out of my body, it would not be long now. Just as I was turning the knob on the library door the sound of a phone ringing startled me. Looking around to locate where the sound was coming from, the glowing screen of my father's personal phone caught my eye. Laying on the foyer table his phone vibrated and shook the flowers that were placed in the center. I knew I shouldn't answer it, I had no idea who it could be but the curiosity that filled my body was pulling me toward it. Just as the phone began its serenade for the last time I picked it up, the screen read ELIZABETH CONNERS. I summoned every ounce of courage I had in my body and hit the green answer button.

"Christian Grey's phone," it sounded silly, but in that moment that was the only thing I could think of.

"Andrea? I'm sorry, I thought I was calling Mr. Grey's personal line."

"This is Phoebe, Mr. Grey's daughter," I explained.

"Oh, hello Phoebe! This is Elizabeth Conners, I'm your father's realtor."

My father's realtor? How odd, was he buying a new apartment somewhere? For a long time my father has been talking about relocating his New York apartment but I had no idea he was actively looking, or had someone else looking that is.

"Could you give your father a message for me? I just called to let him know that there has been an offer on the property that I think he will be very pleased with." 

I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was very pleased with herself, that she believed that she was going to receive some sort of pat on the back from my father, as if that would happen. That's not the way things worked with him.

"Which property are you referring too?"

"The house on the bay, why? Is your father looking to sell more of his properties, if so please let him know…"

I didn't hear the rest of what she said, I had long since stopped listening. My mind was other places, how could he? She must be mistaken. Swallowing hard I directed my attention back to the woman on the other end of the phone.

"I will convey the message," I said just as I ended the call.

I set the phone down on the table and stalked over to the door that led to Taylor's office. I did not bother to knock as I flung the door open. The shock now completely gone from my body, anger had replaced it. Taylor and Sawyer had been sitting at the desk, taking turns watching the cameras and playing some sort of card game, but when they saw me both of them quickly stood.

"Phoebe, what's wrong?" Taylor's words were hurried, as if he feared I had just seen someone barge into the apartment and steal all the expensive artwork off the walls.

"Is my father selling our house?"

"If he was, and I'm not saying that he is, I would not be informed…"

"Cut the shit Taylor, I know that you know. You know everything, you're his right hand man. Tell me the truth, now!" I had cut Taylor off midsentence, I did not have the patience to beat around the bush right now.

"Phoebe, you know that even if he did know, he couldn't tell you," Sawyer said, he was standing up for Taylor but why wouldn't he, they had been working together for years now.

"Fine, if you won't tell me then I will ask him myself."

Storming out of the office I could hear the two of them following me, I'm not sure if they were more afraid of what my father or I would do. When I reached the doors to his office I pulled on them but they didn't budge.

Turning to Taylor I seethed, "Open this door right now or so help me God I will make so much noise the first floor will be able to hear."

I could tell by his facial reaction Taylor was going to do no such thing so I made good on my promise. I let out a blood curdling scream and started pounding on the door, I knew that would get his attention.

Just as I was opening my mouth to produce another unholy scream the doors to the office opened and my father stood there with an unhappy grimace on his face while shooting questioning glances at Taylor and Sawyer.

"Phoebe, what is going on out here?"

"When were you going to tell me?"

"When was I going to tell you what?"

The fact that he was playing dumb with me was only adding to my agitation.

"You know what I'm talking about you bastard!"

My father's face flashed from shock to anger in less than a second. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes but I was not going to let him see me cry.

"You had better watch your language young lady, you do not speak to me that way," his teeth were clenched while he said it but he managed to enunciate every syllable.

"At least I speak to you, apparently you don't think it's important enough of a topic to tell me that you are selling my childhood home! The house where I grew up, the house that you basically built for mom and the house that she died in!" 

"Phoebe, this will be good for all of us. We need to move on, we don't need to spend each day living in a house that has been shrouded in so much pain. I've discussed it at length with your brother and Uncle Elliot, we all think that it is for the best that we live full time in Escala," his words were kinder, they were softer and he reached out to touch my shoulder.

"Oh you discussed it with Teddy? Why should Teddy have any say? Teddy lives across the country! He isn't even here! I don't want to live here, I want to go home," I jerked away from him, I was not going to let him touch me. Not now.

"Honey, this is what's best for you. We can spend more time together here, neither of us will have as long of a commute each day and we can take the time that we would have spent driving to and from the city and spend it together," I could tell his frustration was growing by the look in his eyes.

"What if I don't want to spend time with you? Even if I did before I can promise you that I don't anymore," I looked away from him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I am your father Phoebe, we need to spend time together. I'm worried about you, you are losing weight and all those times you tell me that you can't come to dinner or don't have time to watch a movie with me because you are talking to your brother, I know that isn't true. I have checked your phone records and talked to your brother myself," my father's stance now mirrored mine.

"You know what dad, fuck you and fuck Teddy," I said the words before I even knew they had come out of my mouth.

The look on my dad's face was priceless, I had riled him enough to leave him speechless. It was in that moment, a moment that had never happened before and probably would never happen again, I made my escape back up to my room.


	5. Chapter 5

Standing on my balcony overlooking the city I drew in a deep breath. I felt numb, completely emotionally drained. I had successfully cycled through all of the stages of grief in less than an hour and now with not one ounce of energy left in my body to feel anything else I watched life carry on as normal for everyone else far below my ivory tower. I could hear a knock on my door and open but I didn't turn around, I knew it was my father and I hoped that if I didn't engage with him world war three would not break out in my bedroom.

"Phoebe, we are leaving for dinner in an hour. I'm going to take a shower and change now, I expect to see you in the foyer at seven o'clock," I could feel him standing behind me but I could only manage to nod my consent.

I turned to watch him walk out the door, once again I was alone but now I knew I had the opportunity to sneak downstairs and retrieve my stash. I quickly ran down the stairs and into the library as soon as I heard my father's bedroom door shut. Opening the door to the library I deeply inhaled, the scent of old books was comforting. As I scanned the books on the shelves I found the one I was looking for, _Tess of D'Urbervilles_. My father had given this book to my mother before they were even dating, he could not even stand to look at it. Pushing my finger up into the fragile spine of the first edition I felt the smooth plastic of the tiny bag I had smashed up into the binding. Carefully, so as not to damage the book, I pulled it out and shoved it into my pockets before sliding the book back into its place on the shelf and retreating to my bedroom.

Shutting the door to my room I quickly turned the lock, not that it would do much good, if my father really wanted to get in here I have no doubt he would. Crossing the floor to the chair that my bag rested while the excited anticipation of my next high building in every vein of my body. I dug through the bag trying to locate my razor and compact mirror, when I couldn't find them I dumped the contents onto the bed throwing everything around until I finally found them; they must have worked their way to the very bottom and I did not have the patience to feel around for them.

I carefully laid the mirror down on the top of my desk and emptied the contents of the bag onto the mirror. Taking the razor I cut myself two rather thin lines, I knew I would need more for after this terrible dinner I would have to endure so I had to be stingy. I pulled a single dollar bill out of my pocket and rolled it tight, leaning forward I snorted my relief. I felt myself subconsciously slumped back against my chair and shut my eyes, this was exactly what I needed. I sat there for a long time before checking the clock, it was six forty five before I checked the clock. I had to pull myself together and mentally prepare myself for the unending lecture I knew I was about to receive.

I carefully selected a black knee length dress from the closet and a pair of flats to match. I brushed out my hair to resemble some sort of a style before I admitted defeat. My hair was the same shade of copper brown as my father but it was wild like my mothers. My father was never a fan of his little girl wearing too much make up so I applied a light coat of foundation and mascara before checking my appearance in the full length mirror. I looked every bit the part of Christian Grey's perfect daughter, at least he could be pleased with that.

I descended the stairs into the living room at six fifty five, in my house if you weren't early then you were late. My father was standing at the windows in the living room taking in the view of the city that made this apartment so expensive. Standing at the bottom of the staircase I cleared my throat and waited for my father to turn.

"You look lovely," his smile was small, but it was sincere.

"Thank you," I returned his smile, the blow was in full effect now and even with our terrible fight this afternoon I felt relaxed.

Crossing the floor my father stopped just in front of my and placed his hand on my shoulder, his eyes set in a serious line.

"Phoebe, I won't pretend that what happened earlier never happened at all but I am going to try to put it out of my mind for this evening."

"I don't regret what I said," the words came out before I realized I had said them but my father's face remained impassive.

"Are you ready for your surprise?"

"I'm not sure I can handle any more surprises today."

"Not even if that surprise happens to be your strikingly good looking, witty and charming older brother?"

The voice that came from behind me startled me, Teddy was here. I slowly turned around, seeing him actually standing there startled me even more. I couldn't deny that I was excited to see him but I was also still angry with him for giving dad his blessing to sell the house. Walking over to me a huge smile spread across his face and he embraced me in a huge bear hug which I halfheartedly returned.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"All in good time Pheebs, all in good time," he said releasing me and stepping around me to shake hands with dad.

"How was your flight?"

"It was good but you didn't need to send the jet, I could have taken a commercial flight," Teddy said while shaking his head with a grin which my father grimaced at. If my father had his way neither Teddy nor I would ever fly commercial, 'it just isn't say'.

"Mr. Grey, Taylor is waiting out front with the car," Sawyer said from somewhere behind us.

"Shall we go?" my father asked gesturing toward the doors.


End file.
